Government Committed to Removing Nepal from FATF Grey List: Finance Minister

Minister for Finance, Swarnim Wagle, stated that the Government of Nepal remains fully committed to taking all necessary steps to secure the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

Minister Wagle made the remarks during a discussion held at his office on Tuesday regarding the action plan under the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering.

During the meeting with an APG delegation, the Finance Minister reiterated that the government would utilize all available resources and institutional mechanisms to address concerns raised by international monitoring agencies.

He said the current government has prioritized good governance and development acceleration, adding that the public has already started to feel the positive impact of reforms introduced after the government assumed office.

Minister Wagle also informed the delegation that relevant government bodies are implementing both short-term and long-term measures necessary for Nepal’s removal from the grey list, alongside continuous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

He further stated that Nepal has made notable progress in several indicators related to anti-money laundering compliance compared to earlier assessment periods.

Speaking during the discussion, David Shannon, Deputy Executive Secretary of APG, noted that Nepal still needs to undertake considerable work before achieving removal from the grey list.

Officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Nepal Rastra Bank and other concerned agencies also attended the meeting.

Nepal was placed on the FATF grey list in early 2025 for a two-year period. Since then, the country has been implementing a 15-point reform plan aimed at strengthening its anti-money laundering framework and enhancing financial transparency.